Case Number 20716

SHOPPING

The Charge

Crash & Carry

Opening Statement

The 1990s were the decade where Miramax (and others) demonstrated there was a
broad, international audience for "independent" film. Numerous
directors and actors got their starts because of the sudden increased
profitability of distributing these kinds of films. The 1990s were also the
decade where the mostly optimistic teen angst films of John Hughes gave way to a
number of more nihilist interpretations with films like Pump Up the
Volume and Trainspotting. Presented in the heat of this remarkable
decade but given little attention at the time, Shopping is the debut of
British director Paul W.S. Anderson, who would later achieve a certain level of
fame helming video game adaptations. It's a middling film from a genre auteur
who would eventually learn to do more with bigger budgets.

Facts of the Case

In the near-future, dystopian Britain, Billy (Jude Law, The Talented Mr.
Ripley) is released from jail but isn't rehabilitated. He immediately goes
back to his old ways of stealing cars with his girlfriend (Sadie Frost,
Dracula). In this future, all the rebellious kids will engage in
"ram-raiding," a.k.a. "shopping," where a stolen car is
driven into the window of a store and the contents are then seized by the
thieves. Being involved in this world entangles Billy with both the law
(represented by Jonathan Pryce, Brazil) and the darker criminal elements
of Tommy (Sean Pertwee, Dog Soliders).

The Evidence

Shopping should be a simple slam-dunk. It's got a pretty effective
dystopian world, some amazing actors, the fun concept of
"ram-raiding," and some decent car stunts to help it along. Sadly,
though, Shopping never quite gets the traction it desires from these
elements.

The major problem with Shopping is that it can't quite decide what it
wants to be when it grows up. With the exception of Event Horizon, Paul
W.S. Anderson has been more than content to let action reign in his films. From
Resident Evil to Alien vs. Predator and on to his remake of
Death Race, each film is designed for maximum action pleasure with plenty
of gunplay, explosions, and carnage. Not so much with Shopping. I'm sure
a large part of the issue is budgetary constraints, so Anderson can't let loose
like he'd obviously like to. Sure there are some interesting scenes of car
chases and some ram-raiding to be had, but they're few and far between in this
105-minute feature.

Also, it's not all down to a first-time director not having the budget to
unleash the carnage he'd like to. The problems extend all the way down to the
script, which also can't quite decide if it wants to be a breathless action
piece or a bit of social commentary. The movie tries to say something about
rebellion, feeling trapped in a small town, and the pressures of family, but all
that feels terribly disconnected from the action moments and even the general
idea of criminality of these kids. The film might be trying something new,
creating an action film that isn't afraid to wrestle with the big questions, but
if that's the case then the disconnect between the existential moments and the
action is even more pronounced.

While we're on the topic of the negative, I have to single out Sadie Frost's
accent. Usually I'm one to let sleeping dogs lie with that sort of thing, and I
enjoy her work in other films, but her almost-Irish accent here is grating. It's
uneven and seems unnecessary in the context of the film, and more importantly
constantly pulled me out of the narrative during the crucial early moments where
connections with these characters need to be established.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

With the exception of Sadie Frost's accent, the rest of the acting (including
her performance) is uniformly impressive. This film is Jude Law's first, and
it's not hard to see why he went from independent British films to major
international star. Jonathan Pryce is his usual smooth self, confidently
embodying the law for young Billy. Sean Pertwee is surprisingly menacing as thug
Tommy, and a number of smaller roles are filled out by the likes of Sean Bean,
Marianne Faithfull, and Jason Isaacs. For a low-budget first film, the cast is
amazing.

Although I'm not completely impressed by the marriage of action and social
commentary in Shopping, the action itself is pretty strong. There are
some interesting stunts, a number of fun nighttime car chases, and the
ram-raiding leaves enough carnage in its wake to be visually interesting. It's
certainly easy to connect the car chases in Shopping to the eventual
remake of Death Race, even if the lower budget of this film keeps some of
the stunts from reaching their full potential.

For a film no one was clamoring for on DVD, Shopping gets a solid
release. I didn't detect any serious compression or authoring problems, but the
print itself looks a little washed out and dirty. Whether this is caused by age
or directorial intent is hard to determine, but in either case the film is still
watchable. The 5.1 surround track does a decent job, keeping dialogue audible in
the center and using the surrounds for the occasional car chase ambience.

Extras start with a commentary by Paul W.S. Anderson and producer Jeremy
Bolt. The pair have fond remembrances of making Shopping and they dish on
the film's genesis and production, also reserving some praise for their actors.
The next feature is a interview with Anderson and Bolt again. This is a little
more broad discussion by both parties, though some info is repeated. We also get
a promotional EPK from the film's initial release that combines footage from the
film with interviews featuring the actors and director. Finally, the disc
includes the film's trailer, which did everything possible to sell the anarchic
action.

Closing Statement

Shopping, as others have noted, is probably going to be famous
primarily for introducing the world to Jude Law (and, to a lesser extent, Paul
W.S. Anderson). For Jude Law completists or those who love Anderson's other
work, this flick is certainly worth a rental. Fans of action-oriented cinema
might also want to give the film a look, but for most viewers the few charms of
the film will be outweighed by its long running time and inability to hit a
consistent tone.